1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to the field of animal waste disposal, and in particular to a compact and collapsible frame for capturing animal waste and performing disposal with minimal human contact.
2. Description of Related Art
A common activity in many pet owner""s day is the walking of the family pet. This activity provides exercise to both the pet owner and the pet, and can provide both relaxation and a time to share with one""s favorite four-legged companion. Pets who are somewhat confined during the day typically enjoy being out with their master and this promotes bonding between the pet and the pet owner.
While the experience of walking one""s pet is generally enjoyable, one""s responsibility to his neighbors to pick up after the pet can be a chore in an otherwise pleasant outing. Pets, especially dogs, tend to leave behind their waste where others walk. As a consequence, pet owners are tasked with removing the waste, but hygiene and sensibilities warrant that the task be performed with as little human contact as possible. This objective has been attempted in a variety of embodiments.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,279 to Magee discloses an apparatus for picking up animal waste. Other patents include that of Boots, U.S. Pat. No. 4,315,887; Fortier, U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,272; Parvaresh, U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,575; and Vallery, U.S. Pat. No. 5,455,836. However, none of these apparatuses provide the economy, ease, and sanitary disposal of the present invention.
The present invention provides a collapsible frame for holding a flexible membrane to capture and collect animal waste. From a folded, retracted condition capable of being stored in a pocket or easily carried, the present invention springs open using hinges that open to form a polygon frame with an open interior. The polygon frame may preferably be in the shape of a triangle, square, pentagon or hexagon, although the scope of the invention will extend to a polygon with any number of sides. The frame is preferably used in conjunction with a flexible membrane such as, for example, a plastic bag ubiquitously distributed from grocery stores to carry ones groceries. The flexible membrane is spread out by the expansion of the frame, and when strategically placed beneath the animal provides a snare to catch the animal waste. The frame and membrane combination provides a target for the animal, as well as a collection mechanism for capturing the waste. Once the waste is deposited on the flexible membrane, it can be removed from the frame and wrapped up without any human contact with the waste itself. The collapsible frame can then be retracted into a folded condition for convenient carrying of the frame.